cockatoo

Etymology

It is borrowed from Dutch kaketoe,^{[1][2][3][4][5]} from Malay kakatua,^{[1][2][3][4][5]} perhaps imitative of the bird's call^[2][3] or from kakak “elder sibling” and tua “old”.^[3][5] The English spelling was influenced by cock.^[2][3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A parrot of the genus Cacatua of Australia and the East Indies (1616).^[6][2]

Semantic evolution

In Australia and New Zealand the bird's name was applied colloquially to a small farmer (1864)^[6][5] and to a lookout posted by people engaged in illegal activity, such as gambling (1827).^[6][5][7]

Timeline

• 1616 – the crested parrot, as cacatoe.^[6][2]
• 1634 – first date given by Merriam-Webster.^[4]
• 1827 – Australian slang, a lookout.^[6]
• 1863 – cockatiel.^[3]
• 1864 – Australian, a small farmer.^[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A large, noisy, crested parrot of Australia and nearby regions.
2. (Australian) A small farmer.
3. (Australian slang) A lookout posted by people doing something illegal.

Related words

• cockatiel

References

1. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
2. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
3. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b c d e f Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
6. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org